release - 12/28 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Aug

Samsung To Hold Event in NYC On August 29th, US Galaxy S II Release Imminent?

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy S II, News

It looks like Sammy has something up its sleeve that will be exposed for all to see on August 29th in New York City. Touting a "major product announcement," we can only assume it means one thing: the Galaxy S II. Just typing it fills me with excitement, as we'll finally be getting what is probably the best smartphone on the planet.

^{See that 'II' at the bottom? Subtle, Sammy. Real subtle.}

Hopefully we'll get the full skinny, including cost, carrier availability, and a finalized (probably atrocious) moniker for each, so we can lay all the rumors to rest.

Now, there's only one thing left to do: wait.

Jul

Acer Iconia Tab A100 Arriving 'Early August' For $300. Finally.

Posted by John Thompson in Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, Iconia A100, News

Well it's about bloody time! The last we heard, Acer's Iconia Tab A100 - the little sibling of the larger, 10-inch A500 - was being delayed due to Honeycomb restrictions on 7-inch displays. Fortunately, though, it seems that all of those issues are now firmly in the past for Acer, as Engadget is reporting that the company is readying its tablet for an early August launch, with a suggested retail price of $300.

In case you need a little refresher on the specs of the A100, a 1GHz Tegra 2 processor will be running the show. There will also be 512MB RAM available alongside 8GB of internal storage.

Jul

The Economist Lands On Android, Brings Exclusivity And Class To Your Handheld

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

UK based news publication The Economist released its official Android app into the Market today, bringing all of the features of the magazine to your handset. This app differs a bit from other publication based apps, as the download is free, and offers free access to editor's highlights - no subscription required. Naturally, if you are already a subscriber, you can access full cover-to-cover versions of the magazine, download them for offline viewing, switch between reading and listening, and access/download pervious issues.

The Economist app also utilizes in-app purchases for people who only want occasional access. If you see an edition of the mag that you're interested in, simply grab your device and buy it - no need to buy a full subscription.

Jul

Review: Spotify For Android (US) - Is It The Music Streaming Service You've Been Waiting For?

Posted by David Ruddock in App Reviews, Applications, Reviews

Last Updated: July 24th, 2011

No, it's not. At least not for Android - and that's what we're here to talk about today. The merits of Spotify as a music streaming subscription service for your desktop are substantially greater - it's well organized, searching and streaming are quick, powerful, and pretty. There's a lot to love - and at $10 (or free for ad-supported and no Android playback) a month for unlimited streaming, those plusses are hard to argue against.

Unfortunately, if you plan on using Spotify on your Android device, there's a lot less to love, unless your musical needs are very specific. Spotify for Android is good for one thing: finding music.

Jul

ASUS: Transformer Android 3.2 Update In Testing, Will Be Released Soon

Posted by David Ruddock in ASUS, Eee Pad Transformer, Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News

ASUS has just announced via Twitter that they are currently testing Android 3.2 on the Eee Pad Transformer, and that the keyboard super-dock tablet will be receiving the update soon. What does Android 3.2 bring? A slew of bug fixes, mostly - along with compatibility for apps that don't scale properly (called "Zoom Mode") on Honeycomb tablets. Check out our article on Android 3.2 to learn more.

Twitter

Jul

Motorola Photon 4G To Be Released On July 31st For $199 With Two-Year Agreement

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Photon 4G, Sprint

Sprint's newest dual-core device, the Motorola Photon 4G, is set to land on The Now Network sales floor on July 31 for the now industry-standard price of $199 with a two-year agreement. This is the first WiMax phone to come out of Motorola's camp, and it sports some rather impressive specs:

1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor
4.3 inch qHD display
1GB RAM
16GB onboard storage
8MP rear shooter, VGA front facing camera
Kickstand
Global-ready
Mobile hotspot
Advanced, enterprise level IT security
Gingerbread
Webtop capable

Judging by the official press release, it looks like the Photon won't be lacking any accessories either.

Jul

Android 3.2 Update Build HTJ85B Now Rolling Out In Small Batches For The Motorola XOOM, Finally Brings SD Card Support

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Honeycomb 3.0/3.1/3.2, News, XOOM

Last week we heard a rumor that Android 3.2 could be rolling out to the Motorola XOOM "within days," and it looks like that claim may have been realized starting today. According to Droid-Life, the update is rolling out in small batches at the moment and, along with the nifty new zoom feature, brings the long-awaited support for SD Cards. Other than that, it appears that this is more of a maintenance update, as the other features of 3.2 don't really apply to the XOOM.

In similar news, Google released the GPL portions of the Android 3.2 source code today.

Jul

[Unconfirmed] Sony S1 Tablet Available For Pre-Order In The UK On September 1st

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, S1

According to This is my next, rumor has it that one of Sony's upcoming tablets - the S1 - will available for preorder in the UK beginning on September 1st. That's still a couple of months down the road, so pricing, availability, final release date, and other details (including possible US release date) are lacking at the moment.

The S1 is one of a pair of tablets that Sony announced back in April, alongside the clamshell style S2. It houses modest specs, along with an unusual design:

^{Right: Promo shot; Left: Mockup of the "off-center gravity design"}

9.4 inch display
1Ghz dual-core Tegra 2 processor
Front and rear cameras
Honeycomb

It also sports a custom overlay on top of Honeycomb, but Sony has yet to let us catch a glimpse of what that is expected to look like.

Jul

Firefox 6 Beta For Android Now Available - Brings Lots of Enhancements, Performance Improvements

Posted by David Ruddock in Applications, News

The newest version of Firefox Beta for Android is out on the Market now, and it brings a slew of UI changes, performance improvements, and other fixes and enhancements. Just check out this condensed changelog:

New in this release for Android:

New initial experience: Firefox starts faster and uses less memory. Get to your home page quickly and discover browser features on the side panels.

Higher-quality image scaling: View crisp Web pages and images with less pixelation

Enhanced Firefox experience on large screen tablets

Improvements to the form helper on Android

Fresh visual style on Gingerbread OS

Optimization for pages that use right to left layout rendering, e.g.

Jul

Motorola DROID 3 Now Available At Verizon For $199

Posted by David Ruddock in Droid 3, Motorola, News, Verizon Wireless

Yep, you read that right - you can pick up a DROID 3 right now from Verizon's online store, complete with free overnight shipping for $199 on a new 2-year agreement or eligible upgrade. If you're a new customer planning to switch to Verizon (or planning to add a line), it's worth noting that you'll be subject to Verizon's new tiered data plans as of today. You can also buy it off contract, and it's not too expensive, either - it'll cost you $460 commitment-free.

If you're getting the D3 on an eligible upgrade, there's no need to worry - you can keep your all-you-can-eat unlimited data, unless you're coming from a featurephone data plan, in which case you'll be forced into tiered data as well.